The Mystery Admirer
by Joshua Falken
Summary: Gary began to be stalked by a mysterious woman from his and now he needs discover: who is she and what she wants from him? (Completed)
1. The First Rose

The Mystery Admirer  
by Joshua Falken

Thanks to Tracy Miller for beta-read this fic :-)

* * *

Chapter 1 - The First Rose

When she left the El station, it calmly snowed. To protect herself from the cold, she raised the collar of the black leather coat that she was wearing and lowered her beret over her bright eyes. The winter began to get stronger as they approached of the end of the year.

She turned around wondering if she had gone down in right station. It was when she saw in the end of the block a sign: McGinty's. She had found what she sought.

"Will he remember me?" she thought. Then, she shook the head. "Your fool, do you really think that he will want you, after what you did?"

The woman in the black coat went in direction of the bar. The footsteps of the black boots mixed hope and fear.

== == ==

Marissa Clark entered in the apartment of her business partner, Gary Hobson, and she noticed by the noise that he got dressed quickly.

"What is wrong, Gary?" He got scared when hearing her voice, especially for the fact that she caught him putting on his pants. The detail that she can't see him in such situation didn't decrease his embarasament.

"Ah! That's you, Marissa?" he asked, hiding behind the door of the bathroom. "Did you want some thing?"

"Nothing serious." She noticed his shame immediately. She imagined that she had caught him at an inappropriate moment. "I only wanted you to sign these purchase orders. It is so we can have supplies for the holidays. But if you want that I returned another hour..."

"No, there is not need for that." He signed the documents quickly. She heard him to get the Paper.

"Something wrong in the Paper?"

"Well, I have to stop that a high school science project stops the traffic of the entire Wacker Drive."

"What?" she asked confused.

"A student of organic chemistry was carrying a kilogram of metallic sodium in a flask in his backpack, when he slipped and the backpack and the flask with the sodium dropped in a sewer opening. The metal reacted with the water in an explosive way. The drivers got scared and there was a collision. Nobody was wounded, but that caused a jam for five hours." he explained while he put on his leather jacket.

"My God!" Marissa exclaimed. For what she remembered, a science project that go wrong could, at the most, smell badly, and not to stop one of the main streets of Chicago...

"Good luck."

"Thank you."

"And don't forget your scarf." Marissa stated.

"But how you...? Ah, never mind!" Gary went down the stairways and he left McGinty's. Smiling, Marissa followed him.

== == ==

In the most discreet corner of the bar, somebody saw his departure with great interest. A woman in a elegant black coat and beret, drinking a beer, accompanied his movements with her eyes, hidden behind the dark glasses. Some minutes later, when she thought that was safe, she rose from her chair and went to the bartender.

"Where is the bathroom?" she asked him.

The young man in the bar indicated a door close to where Gary had left. The woman calmly went until the door of the bathroom, but in the last instant, she opened the door of the stairway that took to Gary's apartment. Nobody saw she enter there.

Slow and quietly, the woman in black went up the stairways. She stopped in front of Gary's door. She removed from the small bag that she carried a beautiful red rose. She was about to place the flower in front of the door, when she had one thought.

"And if Gary returns tired of one of his strange walks and do not to see the flower? He could even step in the rose by accident..."

For a moment, the idea of arresting the flower in the door occured to her, but she didn't have a insulation tape. Feeling a spy entering in the enemy territory, she opened the door slowly and entered.

"Then... it is here that Gary lives...", she murmured for herself. Yes, the style combined with the owner.

"Meow."

The mystery woman jumped when she heard the orange-tabby cat, on the couch. She laughed at herself, and she caressed the feline, sitting down to its side. She remembered one night when she and Gary had sat down in that couch, viewing a romance movie, and she smiled. Then, the invader left the rose in the table in front of the sofa, with a small envelope.

She rose from the couch and she left the apartment, not without before to give a small wave to the Cat.

"Bye, bye, Cat."

Nobody saw when she left McGinty's.

== ==

It was night when Gary returned to his apartment, after finishing the last mission determined by the Paper. He was very tired. So tired that he tripped in the rug of his living room. And to add insult to the indignity, the cat jumped in Gary's head before jumping upward of the table.

"Listen here, one of those days, I..." Gary stopped when he saw the rose on the table. "What is that?", he wondered. He opened the envelope and read the card, that said:

Dear Gary,  
  
A gift from someone that loves you very much.  
  
From your mystery admirer.

"Mystery admirer?!", he think stunned. He looked at for the Cat waiting an answer. The only answer that the feline gave him was: "Meow!"

== == ==

Gary's mystery admirer was lying in the bed, of her recently-rented apartment. She has just removed her beret, revealing her shoulder-length fire-red hair.

"Will Gary liked it?" she wondered. "I hope he doesn't get scared." She was afraid that Gary interpreted her gesture erroneously...

The mysterious redhead turned in the bed and her eyes saw the photo that she had put on top of the chest of drawers. It was one of her few photos with Gary: the two smiled at the camera.

Forgetting about her fears for one moment, she kissed the tip of one of her gloved fingers and placed it on the face of the black-haired man. A mark of lipstick was on the picture.

"Good night, Gary."

* * *

What do you think? Next chapter coming soon!

Read and review! :-)


	2. Stalked

The Mystery Admirer  
by Joshua Falken

Thanks to Tracy Miller for beta-read this fic :-)

* * *

Chapter 2 - Stalked

At 6:10 a.m., the snow was falling over Chicago when a cab stopped nearby McGinty's. From that car, a woman exited; she was wearing a long black coat and a black fedora hat. Hugging herself to protect from the cold, she looked discreetly at the window of the apartment above the bar. It was still shut. Gary should be sleeping.

Without noticing the orange-tabby cat that observed her, the mystery woman in black crossed the street and she entered in a Café not far from McGinty's. She sat down in a table located near to the window.

"What do you want, young lady?" the waitress asked, hiding a smile. The woman that had sat down in the table 12 seemed a detective from a parody of film noir!

"Only a cappucino."

While she waited her request, the mystery admirer took off her hat and take a book from the her bag: "The Hobbit", by J.R.R.Tolkien. Pretending to read the volume, she observed what happened in McGinty's.

======

When the Tomorrow's Paper arrived at 6:30 a.m., the meow of the cat didn't wake Gary up. He was already awake, looking confused at the rose and the card.

"Mystery admirer?!" he wondered. "But who is she? And how had she managed to leave that flower in his apartment?"

"Meow!"

"I'm coming!" Gary exclaimed, rising from the bed where he was sitting. He opened the door, bent over, and picked the Paper. Cat, as usual, entered the loft without waiting for an invitation.

After dressing, he went down and found Marissa in the office.

"Good morning, Gary."

"Good morning, Marissa."

By the tone of his voice, his partner in McGinty's sensed that Gary was distracted. "There is something wrong?"

"I'm not sure." The possibility was of one in a trillion, but he thought that he should investigate it. "Marissa, did you by chance leave a rose in my apartment?"

"No, I did not." she said, genuinely surprise. "Why do you ask?"

"Last night when I returned to my apartment, I found a rose along with acard on the table of the living room. The card said: "A gift from someone that loves you very much. From your mystery admirer."

"Did you try to recognize the handwriting in the card?"

"No, it was printed by computer."

Marissa thought a little.

"Well, Gary, I suggest that you give time to the time, for while. It can be some practical joke from the employees or some waitress with a crush decided declare her feelings."

"Could be...". He had not considered those possibilities.

"And keep the door of your apartment lockes. For precaution."

Gary agreed.

"A rose from a mystery admirer..." Marissa murmured with a smile. "It is romantic, you have to admit..."

Gary just raised his brows while he drank a cup of coffee. He wasn't so sure...

======

The mystery woman was already to give up on seeing Gary before going work, when in that moment Gary had exited through the door of his bar, proceeding at the direction west.

After a moment of indecision, she rose quickly from the table, paid the bill and left the Café, going after him.

======

Something strange was bothering Gary. He had the weird feeling of being fellowed. He turned and looked back. The habitual crowd walked through the street, everybody dressed with winter dark clothes. Because of that, he didn't pay attention to the red-haired woman with black long coat and hat.

Gary decided to cut road through a long and narrow alley, to arrive to the McGinty's meat vendor. It was usually Marissa that took care of that kind of thing, only that she was very busy taking care of other details of McGinty's and Gary thought he also had to assume his responsibilities about the bar - it was not fair that Marissa had to do the whole work, his responsabilities with the Paper are not an excuse.

It was when he felt that weird feeling again. He stopped and turned back. Nobody.

"I should be more tired than I thought.", he thought. Perhaps for being still a little distrustful, that he noticed the sounds of steps behind them. High-heeled steps. He stopped, and almost immediately, his stalker's steps stopped.

He turned, and saw somebody hidden behind a garbage bin. It was a woman of medium stature, wearing a black long coat and a black hat with wide brims and big dark glasses that hid her face almost completely.

"Hey!"

In the moment in that she noticed that Gary had seen her, she ran with all her speed. Gary tried to run behind her, but a wind blow throwed his scarf over his eyes. When he got to remove the scarf, she was already in the exit of the alley.

"Stop there!"

He ran up to that point, but she had already disappeared. Cursing his bad luck, other wind blow took the scarf from his hand and landed it on top of a tree. A signal from his wristwatch remimded Gary that he was already late for the meeting with his vendor. Resigned with the loss, he went in direction to his commitment.

Hidden in an empty space among the buildings, the mystery admirer thought:

"I need to be more careful! I hope he has not recognized me!" Then she shook her head. "And what are you doing exactly, fool?! Following him like this, as a stalker??"

She sighed, exiting from her hideaway. At last, her time in that athetic club in Washington. D.C. was useful. She didn't thought that could out run him...

In that moment, Gary's scarf came unfastened and fell over her black high-heeled boots. When she recognized it, she smiled and placed it kindly around her neck.

======

"I'm telling you, Marissa, someome was following me!" Gary told his friend and partner what had happened.

"Did you see how this person look like?"

"More or less. I think was a woman. She was very distant, that I didn't get to see her face. She was wearing a long black leather coat and a hat with wide brims..."

"Like Carmen Sandiego, only that the clothes were black and not red?" Marissa knew that game and animation character by description. Surprised by the association, he confirmed.

"Yes, and when she saw that I had noticed her, she leaped from where she was hidden and she fled. She was very fast!"

Gary and Marissa were in silence for some time, before she asked.

"Gary, why you don't talk with Detective Armstrong?"

"Huh?"

"Perhaps he could help you to discover the identity of your mysterious woman." A thought occured to her. "Perhaps she is your mystery admirer."

He was not sure if he liked the idea.

"Perhaps... Well, I have to organize some tax forms."

"Good luck." She commented.

"Thank you."

One hour later, Gary had finished the forms, when he decided to take a little sleep. He crossed his arms and bend over the desk. Minutes later, somebody that had been observing what happened in the office with great interest entered slowly. Her shadow covered Gary, while she left a rose and a card in front of him. For a moment, she fought the will to bend down and kiss him hard. Instead she just kissed the tip of her gloved fingers and touched Gary's forehead.

Quietly, the mystery admirer left, her black-gloved hand adjusting the front brim of the hat.

When he wake up, he was surprised with the rose and the card on the table of the office. He went until the corridor and asked a waitress that passed.

"Mona, did you see anybody strange enter in the office?"

"No, Mr. Hobson."

"Everything well. Thank you."

Gary opened the card:

Dear Gary

Excuse me for today, and please accept this rose,

Your Mystery Admirer.

* * *

What do you think? Who is your suspect? Next chapter coming soon!

Read and review! :-)

And a Merry X-Mas and a Happy 2003!


	3. Unlikely Encounters

The Mystery Admirer  
by Joshua Falken

Thanks to Tracy Miller for beta-read this fic :-)

* * *

Chapter 3 - Unlikely Encounters

There were two days before Christmas. With a sad expression in her face, the beautiful, red-haired woman dressed in an elegant long black coat and black fedora gazed at the Christmas tree situated along the side of the ice skating rink. Lost in her thoughts, she got surprised when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

The mystery admirer turned and saw the object of her affection. Before her it was Gary Hobson.

After a moment of shock silence from both, he said:

"Then, it was you."

Afraid that he was angry with her, she tried to run out of there, but he held her by the arm.

"Please, don't run." he pleaded.

Their lips were very close. Overwhelmed by emotion, their lips touched.

And it was on that moment that she opened her bright eyes and saw herself face to face with the muzzle of a teddy bear. When noticing that it had been just a dream, she was very disappointed. With a sigh, the mystery admirer got up from the bed, wrapping herself with a blanket and went to take a shower. In the way, she activated her Cd-Player and Mozart's Symphony Number 41 filled the apartment.

While she was under the shower, the redhead noticed that the hot water made the marks in her arms and body more visible. "This shows how good my choice was.", the mystery admirer mumbled bitterly, when she remembered the result of such choice. Shaking her head, the mysterious redhead was decided to forget that. Dressing the black leather pants and the white T-shirt that she always dressed before leaving of the bathroom. This way she was not very exposed to the cold. While she combed her shoulder-length hair, she looked at the calendar on the table: one week to Christmas. She still had some gifts to buy...

The mystery woman began a ritual that repeated everyday: while she heard Mozart, she dressed a black leather jacket over the white T-shirt, a black leather knee-high skirt over her pants. She put on a pair of black high-heeled long pipe boots. And finally, she wore an elegant, but heavy long black trenchcoat. That dream had left her very depressed. To the sound of the symphony, she began to dance, imagining that she danced with her lover. Her movements and of her open coat had a surprising grace. But when the music ended, the woman in the black coat returned to the reality.

"Can I be more pathetic than that?", she wondered.

The mystery admirer closed her black coat, raising its collar. Then she put her beret, her pair of tight gloves and her dark glasses.

With a sad sigh, she left her apartment.

======

Later, on that same day, Gary Hobson talked about his mysterious stalker to Detective Paul Armstrong.

"Let me see if I understand this: Yo you say that a woman who you don't know is following you through Chicago and leaving a red rose and card everyday for you?"

"Yes."

"And that this "mystery woman", seemingly well athletic by your description, likes to get dressed like Carmen Sandiego.". Armstrong tried hiding his smile, but he could not. Gary noticed and concluded that the detective was not taking him seriously.

"Armstrong, I'm telling you the truth. See the cards." Gary now had five cards from her. In that moment, he let the Paper fall to the ground and he saw a headline jumping to his eyes. Meanwhile, the policeman examined the evidence and he noticed that was a woman's handwriting.

"Alright, Hobson. I will see what I can do."

"Thank you." Armstrong shook his head when seeing that Gary had gone out of his office in a hurry. He wondered if some day he would understand the enigma of that guy. Returning to the mystery that Gary had brought to him, he began to think: a very fast woman dressed with a black coat, impassioned by Gary. The handwriting in the cards was very similar with one that he knew.

Armstrong made a connection.

"Hello? Could you come to my office, please? Thanks." While he waited, the detective smiled thinking about his suspect.

The door of the office opened up and Detective Toni Brigatti entered.

"Did you want to see me, Paul?"

"Yes, Toni. Please, sit down."

After she becomes very comfortable, he asked with a smile.

"Toni, do you by chance still have that Carmen Sandiego costume that you used at that Halloween party?"

She blinked her bright eyes, divided between surprise and embarrassment. If she had not made that promise to the Halloween party...

"Yes, I still have it. Why?"

"Were you using it recently? On this week, for example?"

"No." she answered, frowning her forehead. "Paul, I am not understanding."

"Well, it's because a mystery woman dressing like that has been following Hobson for the whole town."

"But, what..." She began to understand his partner and said slowly. " Paul, I hope you are not suggesting that such... mysterious woman... is me."

"And it is not?"

"I have better things to do than to fellow Hobson." Brigatti said, a trace of annoyance in her voice.

"Are you sure? Because the handwriting in these cards is very similar to your own."

Brigatti admitted, for her dislike, that the writing was similar, even so she had not written the cards.

"Ok, Toni. If you say so."

She spoke looking at the eyes of her partner. "Paul, I am not interested in Gary Hobson. Is this clear?"

"Sure." But he still looked thoughtfully at policewoman that was leaving his office.

======

In the Meridian Store, a saleswoman assisted a beautiful redhead in a black long coat.

"I will take this blouse." The mystery woman said, aiming her gloved hand to a pretty marine blue blouse that was in the shop window.

"Very well, young lady." The saleswoman added the blouse to the other purchases. "Only this?"

"Yes, that is all."

"Cash or check?"

"Cash."

The mystery admirer looked up, when hearing a sound coming of top. Through the metallic floor, she noticed that the mezzanine of the store was a lot full of goods. "Well, they should know that they are doing." she thought, calming down.

After paying her purchases, she was leaving the store, when she ake a big scare: at two meters for her, talking with the store manager, it was Gary! Quickly, she hid in a clothes try-on room that, by luck, was near.

She noticed that the two men were discussing.

"Mister, you need to remove those people from here..."

"Remove them? In the biggest sales period of the year? Are you crazy?"

"Don't you understand that your superior floor will tumble and hurt at least two people?"

Surprised with the prophecy, the mystery admirer looked up and she saw when the floor began to give away under the weight of the products.

"LOOK OUT!" she yelled, the fear distorting her voice.

Gary and the manager only had time to notice that a very fast lady in black pushed them to the ground, taking them from the way of the roof that collapsed. By reflex, Gary looked at the Paper. The headline now was: "Store roof tumbles. No one hurt." Before he could turned and thank who had saved his life (and give a good look at her face), the woman in the black coat threw a near winter blouse over his head. When Gary removed that of his face, his mystery admirer had disappeared.

======

At five blocks from the commotion, a red-haired woman, wearing a heavy black long coat and a black beret, recovered her breath.

"I hope Gary has not seen me.", she thought. "What a coincidence! That was the last place that I expected to find him... but as he knew that the roof would tumble?"

Even confused, she had reached a conclusion. Raising the closed black-gloved fist to the height of her chest, she decided that that stupid cat-and-mouse game that she had begun would end.

She would go until McGinty's and would tell all the truth to Gary.

======

Later she was in front of McGinty's, gathering her courage. The woman in the black coat layer entered in the bar and went until one of the waitresss.

"Did Mr. Hobson already arrive?"

"I don't think so, young lady. I am not sure."

"Thank you."

Making a decision, Gary's mystery admirer discreetly went until the door of Gary's apartment and climbed the stairway. Maybe surprising him with her presence, did she get at least a small advantage?

She entered in the apartment, and saw that it was really empty. She rehearsed what would say to Gary when she noticed that his brown leather jacket was on the sofa. In a impulse for which she would censored herself bitterly, she took off her coat and dressed the jacket. The mystery woman could feel the scent of her love. She was so sacre when she realized that Gary was coming up the stairs, that she quickly hid behind the sofa. However, in her haste, her bag opened up and a rose fell out of it.

"Meow."

"How was your day?", he ask the orange-tabby cat. The only answer Gary got from the cat was silence. And Gary went into the bathroom. The mystery admirer, now fearing his reaction to her invasion, decided to leave the fastest possible. Quietly, she began to rose up when the Cat leaped in front of her. Putting a hand over her mouth to stop a surprised yell, she dressed her black coat and left the apartment. The Cat saw her departure in silence.

Later when searching for his jacket, Gary saw the Cat beside a rose on the ground.

======

It was only in her apartment, the mystery admirer noticed that was using Gary's jacket.

"Fool! Fool! Fool!", she exclaimed, passing the gloved hands over her red hair. "How could you do a... stupid thing like that! And now!?"

And she had still left the rose in Gary's apartment! She feared what he should be thinking now... How could she repair the situation? That her lack of courage only made worst...

======

In the following day, a very anxious Gary received the Paper, that had the following headline in the page 3: "Mathematician Found Beaten in Alley"

* * *

What do you think? Who is your suspect? Next chapter coming soon!

Read and review! :-)


	4. Cracking the Hypothesis

The Mystery Admirer  
by Joshua Falken

Thanks to Tracy Miller for beta-read this fic :-)

* * *

Chapter 4 - Cracking the Hypothesis

Early in the morning, in his office at the Department of Mathematics of the University of Chicago, a young brown-haired man hastily placed a series of documents, computer disks and annotations into a briefcase, when his phone rang.

Startled, he briefly looked at the device before leaving his office. He clutched the briefcase closely to his chest as if it contained the most important of his life's work.

Some minutes after his exit of the Department of Mathematics, two men got off a van. The taller of them caught a cell phone and called a number.

"Boss? We already arrived at the place."

A distorted voice commanded: "Get the research. And don't fail." And with that their boss hung up.

The two men looked at each other nervously before proceeding towards the building.

======

Meanwhile, in McGinty's, Gary Hobson hoped that someone answered the phone.

"No answer, Gary?" Marissa inquired.

"No. He should have already left his office by now." Gary responded.

"There is no clue in the article?"

"Nothing. It only says that Christian Glass was last seen this time last evening in the Department of Mathematics of the University of Chicago. He was found unconscious in the Quindat Alley at 5 p.m. The police are considering the possibility of an assault." Gary explained.

Marissa heard when Gary began to dial the phone again.

"Who you are calling?"

The connection was completed. "Hello, Crumb?"

======

At 9 a.m., Gary was in the office of the now private detective Marion Zeke Crumb. Crumd looked at Gary with an expression that said: "It had to be you, Hobson..."

"Let me see if I understand this," Crumb began, his tone surprising clam, "Besides for this mystery woman fellowing you and leaving gifts for you, she also broke into your apartment and took your leather jacket."

"Huh... yes."

"Did this woman phone you or threaten you in any way?"

"No."

Crumb leaned in the chair, the thoughts swirling in his mind as he pieced together the puzzle. A mystery woman was sending love messages for Hobson, but she obviously didn't want him to see her. When she followed him, she used clothes that hid her identity. From what was written in the cards, she didn't want hurt him. With his experience in the police, Crumb arrived at the conclusion that Hobson's mystery admirer was a former-girlfriend... perhaps one who had abandoned him and now regreted her decision.

"So Hobson, maybe you should tell me the names of your former girlfriends."

"Howzat?"

"Your mystery woman could be a former girlfriend. Tell me about your more serious relationships and the last news that you had on them. That includes that ex-wife of yours."

"Marcia? The last I heard was that she was working in the Case Cyberdyne versus Mitsurugi, in Washington, D.C. There is Meredith Carson. She was reporter of Sun-Times when I met her but now she works for Washington Post. Emma Shaw to Marco Sanchez. I believe that they live in New York City." Gary also told Crumb about Erica Paget, Rebecca Waters and Toni Brigatti. Crumb asked a few questions about each of these women.

The ex-cop arose from his seat. "Well Hobson, I have something to go on. I'll be in touch." Crumb promised. The two men shake hands and Gary left the office. After Gary left, Crumb began to give some phone calls. The investigation had begun.

======

It was after noon when Gary proceeded towards Quindat Alley. He didn't notice that he was being followed by a black Honda Accord. The driver, biting her lower lip, kept a discreet distance from the McGinty's truck. Her only thought was how she could repair the situation that she had created... When she saw that Gary stopped near an alley, she parked the car where he could not see her. Gary had left the van and was standing at the side of the vehicle holding his hockey stick. Occasionally, he looked at his watch or at the paper in his hands.

The mystery admirer frowned. She was confused. What was Gary doing standing in the near an alley? Tired and confused, she leaned back in the car's seat. She decided to close her eyes for a few moments. She was awakened by the sound of heated discussion that Gary was having with two sinister looking men. The two men were forcing Gary and another man inside of the alley. They had what seemed to be weapons in their hands. She had to do something! Looking around through the dark windows of her car, she saw a roll of electric wire and some garbage cans. She left her Honda, a desperate idea brewing in her head.

======

Everything had been very fast. In one moment, Gary hoped to find the mathematician and alert him to the danger. In the next moment, he was on the ground, having been knocked down by the rocket version of Christian Glass. The brown-haired man helped Gary stand up. "I'm sor..." Before the researcher had a chance to finish his sentence, the two men that were seeking him appeared. Both aimed black pistols with mufflers at Glass and Gary.

"Mr. Glass, you are a difficult man to find." one of the men commented at the same time that the other removed the hockey stick from Gary's hands.

"How about you give us the research?"

"No!" Glass exclaimed, hugging the briefcase, his eyes dancing with fear. That was his life's work.

"Jake, what we do with this guy?" The one man with the hockey stick asked.

"The Boss said no witnesses, Curtis." The two bandits pushed their victims inside of the alley. The man called Curtis gave a punch to the scientist's stomach. Glass doubled over in pain dropping his briefcase. Curtis seized the briefcase. "I'll take that. Thank you " Curtis said, a smug expression on his face.

"Hey...wait a minute!" Gary tried to react, but the thought of the weapons stopped him.

"Well, let's go, Jake." Curtis was ready to pull the trigger, when suddenly an electric wire was wound around his wrist. "What the heck?!" The four men turned around and saw that a woman in a black long coat and fedora hat held the wire as if it were Indiana Jones' whip.

"My moment of Catwoman.." The mystery admirer thought to herself with an amused smile. At the same time, she pulled the wire. One of the assailants fell in the ground. Meanwhile, Gary recovered his hockey stick from the hands of the other surprised thief allowing Christian Glass to recover his briefcase. As Jake prepared to shoot his intended victims, he was struck in the forehead by a cover of garbage can that the mystery woman threw as if it were a disc. Gary took advantage of the ruckus to kick the weapons inside of a sewer opening. The bar owner and the mathematician ran towards the McGinty's truck. Before leaving, Gary tried to catch a glimpse of his mystery savior, but she had already disappeared.

Gary stepped on the accelerator as soon as he noticed that the two thieves had recovered from the unexpected attack. He and Glass were able to escape.

"Thank you very much, Mr...?"

"Hobson. Gary Hobson."

"Christian Glass." The two young men shook hands.

Meanwhile, Jake and Curtis talked, or rather, screamed at each other. "Who in the hell was that madwoman?!" Curtis massaged his wrist. That woman had almost cut out his hand.

"I don't know!" Jake touched the place where the cover had bruised him. "I only know that Glass escaped with the demonstration! Let's get out of here!"

======

Later in McGinty's, Christian Glass still thanked Gary.

"Thank you very much, Mr. Hobson." He said as he sipped a cup of tea.

"You can call me Gary." Gary paused briefly before continuing. "Mr. Glass, what did those men want?"

"My research in the Number Theory about the Riemann's Hypothesis." Glass said. Glass noticed the confused expressions on Gary and Marissa's faces. "Nor everybody is a mathematician." He thought to himself.

"Do you know what it is a prime number?"

"It is any number that only could be divided by 1 and itself. 2,3,5,7,11 and so on to the infinite." Gary responded.

"Exactly." Glass answered. "The prime numbers are the elementary particles of the mathematics - any number that you imagine can be obtained from them. Only that doesn't seem to have a pattern that allows to say which would be the next prime number. Discover that would be like discovering Mendeleiev's Periodic Law of the Elements." Gary and Marissa noticed immediately how the subject excited the young man. "In the Century XIX, a mathematician called Bernard Riemann proposed one formula that allowed us to foresee the distribution of the prime numbers. That formula is known as "Riemann's Hypothesis. Only problem is that the hypothesis is not proven in a general approach - just in empirical ones. It is the most important problem of the entire mathematics, the Saint Graal of Number Theory. My research involves trying to find its general demonstration."

"Excuse me, but I'm confused. That doesn't seem reason enough for somebody to try kill you." Gary commented.

"Well, besides proving hundreds of important theorems, a general demonstration of Riemann's Hypothesis could turn obsolete 99.8% of all the computer security codes. They are based on the fact that you can't determine easily what prime numbers composes a number, since there is not a easy way to determine if a number is prime or not."

"Then, Mr. Glass, who do you think is after your research? Did you conclude it?" Gary inquired.

"No, I didn't. But I believe that I'm closer to the general demonstration than any other person. And I bet that is Renquist Software that is after my work." Christian Glass answered, a trace of anger evident in his voice. "They were financing my research, when suddenly they ordered that I stop and give them all of my notes. When I refused, they sent those men after me."

Gary just had a question in his mind. "And now?"

======

Meanwhile, Jake and Curtis faced the fury of their boss, the owner of Renquist Software- Stephanie Millicent Renquist-Halloway.

"Then, you failed. I gave you numbskulls simple orders, but you still failed!" Renquist-Halloway said angrily.

"Boss, we had Glass in our hands, but then appeared that woman and..." Curtis tried to explain, shakily, but he was interrupted.

"I'm not interested in your excuses! Get Glass and bring him here!" The two henchmen left the office, trembling. Renquist-Halloway lit a cigarrete. A cloud of smoke escaped from her lips.

======

In the black Honda Accord on the other side of the street, the mystery admirer watched McGinty's. She had heard those two criminals and worried that they would come after Gary and the man that he helped. Behind the dark glasses of the car, her brilliant eyes narrowed. "I will protect you, dear." she murmured. But even in her surveillance, she didn't notice that the Cat walked quietly beside the black Honda.

======

"Can I use your phone? If it isn't an inconvenience, Mr. Hobson?"

"Sure. Go ahead." Glass called a number. A woman's voice answered: "Hello, this is the Fourier's residence. Leave your message after the beep." Beep.

"Natasha, this is your brother Christian. Please call me. The telephone number is 555-7682 and..." Meanwhile, a bug concealed at Natasha Glass-Fourier's house listened the information.

* * *

What do you think? Who is your suspect? Next chapter coming soon!

Read and review! :-)


	5. Rescuer in the Shadows

The Mystery Admirer  
by Joshua Falken

Thanks to Janet Brayden for beta-read this fic :-)

* * *

Chapter 5 - Rescuer in the Shadows

The snow fell while the sun rose in Chicago. In her car, a red-haired woman fought to keep her eyes open. She had spent the whole night awake, watching McGinty's. "I have to stay awake." It was the last thought that passed through the head of the mystery admirer was before she closed her eyes and fell over the steering wheel.

Some minutes later, a black van stopped in front of the bar and Jake and Curtis jumped out of it. They went into the alley beside McGinty's and Curtis opened the lock of the service door. The two criminals entered the empty restaurant (the employees had not yet arrived) and the stairway that took to Gary's apartment rose before them.. The Cat had just meowed, informing Gary of the arrival of the Paper, when Gary opened the door and found himself face to face with the silencers of the criminals' weapons.

"Do you remember us?" Jake asked, pushing Gary inside.

Glass, who was sleeping in the floor, woke up with the noise. "But what...?"

"Shut up and get up, Mr. Glass! You and your friend will go with us.", Jake said with an unpleasant smile.

Gary didn't have chance of reading the article on page 4: Bar owner and mathematician found dead on Thomas Road.

======

The mystery admirer woke up scared when she heard sounds of a fight. She saw when those two bandits put Gary and the man that he had helped in their van.

"My God!", she exclaimed, placing a gloved hand on her mouth.

The black van left. She started the car and began to follow the van, being careful to not be noticed. In that moment, she thanked the thriller films that she had seen when she was a kid. She got from from within her leather coat a cell phone.

"Come on... answer it!", she thought, while she tried not to let the kidnappers out of her sight..

"Chicago PD." a monotonous voice said.

"Hello, I want to report a kidnapping!" The woman in the black coat began to speak fast so she wouldn't be interrupted. "Two men in a black van, plate AGH-789, kidnapped Gary Hobson and a friend of his! They are in Wacker Drive and...!" On that moment the battery of the cellular died. "Damn!", she exclaimed, throwing the device in the backseat. Now, it was up to her.

After some minutes, the van crossed a train track, but their shadow had to stop because of the freight train that began to pass in that moment. When the train crossed, the vehicle of the kidnappers had disappeared.

"No..." she murmured.

======

Later, Gary Hobson and Christian Glass were in the offices of Renquist Software, tied with adhesive tapes in the chairs in the center of the office. Jake and Curtis seemed bored.

"What now, Jake? When will the boss appear?"

"The witch said that she would came soon."

"The witch already arrived." A voice cold as liquid hydrogen spoke. The two idiots jumped when they saw who had entered.

Gary turned his head and saw a tall and very elegant blond woman, but with a cruel expression in her face. A chill went by his spine when she looked directly at him.

"Then, this is the man that was protecting Glass?"

"Yes." Jake and Curtis answered in unison.

She sighed. "Well, this will be a waste. He's very attractive."

Before Gary could thinkofany answer for that comment, she turned to the mathematician. "So, Mr. Glass, did you think you would flee with our secret research?"

"Your secret research?!? The General Demonstration of the Riemann's Hypothesis is the dream of all mathematicians! You can't keep it only for you and..." the blond woman interrupted him, laughing.

"What is that? In what century do you think you are? In the Renaissance? The discovery is of who pays for her!" She stopped laughing and she said for her two "security men", pointing to Gary: "Take him to the deposit and keep him there." While the order was obeyed, Renquist-Halloway turned again to the mathematician and she said coldly. "I think that is better for you to cooperate with us and to explain to us the demonstration, or your friend will die."

Christian Glass, feeling guilty for involving Gary in that confusion, agreed, with his head low.

======

The sun was setting in Chicago. Meanwhile, in her apartment, a red-haired woman despaired.

"My God, what do I do?!" she thought. Gary had been kidnapped by those bandits and she didn't have any clue as to his whereabouts!

"Meow." The mystery admirer almost jumped from within of her skin when hearing the meow and the sound of a newspaper dropping in the ground. Confused, she turned and saw the Cat on top of her couch beside an edition of Chicago Sun-Times, the paper that Gary always read. She shook her head, thinking that she was imagining things. But the Cat and the Paper were very real.

"How did you appear here?" she asked by reflex. The feline spread the newspaper in her living room's floor. Still confused, she caught the newspaper and saw the date.

"No... there is some mistake." she thought, while she saw one of the headlines: "Drunk driver crashes through store's window". And in that very instant, the radio began to transmit the news. "... and a report has just arrived about a small incident than had happened some minutes ago, when a drunk driver, identified as Robert Cooper, crashed through the shop window of the Cosmic Way Sound Store with his car. Happily there are no victims..."

The redhead in the black coat was not understanding... how could that report be in the paper, if it had just happened...? She looked at again for the date in the Paper. Tomorrow's date.

When she understood, her brilliant eyes bugged out in surprise and understanding... and hope.

======

Meanwhile, Crumb had just eliminated more suspect as being Hobson's mystery admirer. According to his informer, she could not be in Chicago. The private detective smiled: now remained a single possible name.

He was sure that was she was the one that he searched for.

======

It was lacking fifteen minutes for 10 p.m., when a black Honda Accord stopped near Renquist Software. The light of only one office was lit. The driver of the car looked again at the Paper - the article stated that the bodies of Gary Hobson, bar owner, and Christian Glass, mathematician of the University of Chicago, were found in the front of the building of the high-tech company, according to Curtis Richter, company's security man, that found the bodies after hearing shots in the building. The estimated hour of death was 11:30 p.m.

She breathed deeply while she tried to decide what to do - she had not created a plan yet...

It was in that moment that she saw one of the criminals that had kidnapped her lover leave the building. Now she noticed exactly what was happening: Gary was being held in there.

A plan formed inside of her head. She caught her cellular - now with the battery surely recharged.

"Hello? Chicago PD? I wanted to report a kidnapping: two people, Gary Hobson and Christian Glass, were kidnapped and are being held as hostages in 1768 Thomas Road! Please come fast! I think they're going to kill them!" and the redhead cut the connection, hoping that her desperate voice convinced the police that it was not a hoax.

She left the car and went to the trunk. A wrench glittered in her black-gloved hand.

======

Glass tried delay the explanation the as much as possible, trying to find a way that he and Mr. Hobson could escape. It was then that a window of the office was broken by a stone.

"But what the hell is that!?" Curtis exclaimed, when other stone was thrown.

"CHECK IT OUT, FOOL!" his boss ordered. "Jake, stay here and watch Glass." She didn't care with Gary, who was locked in the deposit of the floor.

Curtis went to the outside side of the building. As soon as he walked through the door, something heavy hit him in the head. He had time to turn and to see a wrench coming in his direction. He was knocked out.

The woman in the black coat held still for one moment, surprised with what she had done, before entering in the building. She arose for the stairways and when reaching the second floor, found a small red box with the inscription "Fire Alarm". With a impish smile, she broke the glass and pressed the button.

======

In the office, Renquist and Jake were surprised when they heard the alarm. What was happening?

"Jake, See what that is. And what happened with the idiot Curtis!"

The employee left running from the office. The blond woman aimed a gold-plated gun at Glass.

"Don't let that small detail interrupt your wonderful explanation."

======

In the deposit, Gary was stunned when hearing the fire alarm - he had come to recognize one of them immediately. His efforts to get free became frantic.

======

In the Fire Department, a silent fire alarm was activated in the screen of the computer. The address was 1768 Thomas Road. The police were informed and Detective Armstrong was the designated officer.

The fire trucks left with the sirens wailing.

======

Gary's mystery admirer opened the door of the fourth floor, where there was the office with the lights on. In that moment, she noticed movement in the end of the corridor and hid in a near cubicle. That other criminal was coming.

When he looked inside the janitor's closet, the woman in the black coat left her hiding place, and pushed him inside. Soon after, she locked the door, trapping the bandit.

"Hey, get me out of here!" he screamed. The only answer that she gave him was show her tongue. She gave a last glance in the Paper. And she smiled with the new headline.

======

"What was that?" the owner of Renquist Software, when she heard someone knock on the door. Still seizing the weapon, Stephanie Renquist-Halloway opened the door, just to receive a jet of fire extinguisher in her face.

Everything happened very fast.

Christian Glass saw that from behind the jet of CO2 came a woman wearing a long black coat and a fedora hat that hide her eyes that knocked down the boss of the kidnappers with a well thrown punch. The woman went up to him, making a wry face of pain. She had never punched anyone...

"Listen, Mr. Glass. I came to help you and Gary! Do you know where he is?"

"Yes, I know!" the mathematician affirmed, remembering the blond woman's orders and the layout of the building.

"Great! Take me to him!"

The two had come out of the office while the blond woman with the gun was recovering.

Soon after, they were freeing Gary from the chair. Before Glass could remove the adhesive tapes of his arms and eyes, they heard a shot. It was Stephanie.

"Let's get out!" The mystery admirer exclaimed, at the same time that throwed another jet of the fire extinguisher. The mathematician and the mystery woman guided Gary - who still could not see - outside of the building. At that moment Curtis recovered and Renquist-Halloway appeared in the door of the building.

"Stop! Police!"

The two criminals were surprised with the order. The whole building was surrounded by policemen.

Later, while the police took the three kidnappers, Gary spoke to Glass.

"Did you see her face??"

"No, sorry, I mean, that fedora hat hid her eyes and..."

"All right." Gary sighed. Will it be that he would never know her? The woman in the black coat had simply disappeared.

"Mr. Hobson, thank you for everything."

"You're welcome."

"Excuse me." Detective Armstrong said behind them. "But we need your statements."

Both agreed.

======

In the distance, a woman in a long black coat and black hat observed their departure, leaned in her Honda. She got in the car, and sighed, alone with her thoughts. Only the Cat had noticed her presence in the place.

* * *

What do you think? Who is your suspect? Next chapter coming soon!

Read and review! :-)


	6. Christmas Eve's Resolution

The Mystery Admirer  
by Joshua Falken

Thanks to Janet Brayden for beta-read this fic :-)

* * *

Chapter 6 - Christmas Eve's Resolution

In the day following the events at the offices of Renquist Software, Gary was in McGinty's thinking hard. In spite of tomorrow being Christmas Eve, his mood was not exactly festive. Marissa noticed that immediately as she entered in the bar.

"Gary, what's wrong?"

He sighed.

"It is that that woman - the mystery admirer - saved me yesterday and she disappeared, and I couldn't at least thank her..."

"Well, maybe you still can." A voice interrupted. It was Crumb, carrying an envelope.

"What?"

"I believe that I discovered the identity of your mystery admirer, Hobson."

Gary was in something close to "total alert".

======

Meanwhile, the subject of the talk between Crumb and Gary packed her things. She wanted to be ready to take on the 26th the airplane that would take her back to New York. The redhead in the black coat cleaned a tear with the backs of her gloved hand.

Her brilliant eyes looked on the Tomorrow's Edition that she had received. Something that in a single blow had helped to save Gary of those thieves, explained what was the mystery of his mystery rescues... and it explained why she didn't deserve him...

"He gave me the choice... and I chose wrong!"

She had decided: the best for him was that she left him alone... I abandoned him... why he would accept me back?

After drying some tears that insisted in rolling from her eyes, she put her pair of dark glasses (so no one could see that she had cried) and she left her apartment.

In the door of the building, she found the manager.

"Will the young lady be leaving?" The woman who rented the apartment 15 was very reserved, but also very gentle and nice.

"Yes, Mr. Abbot. I'm going to the park to clear my head."

He saw when she put her black fedora and left to the cold wind. The snow fell slowly.

======

About half hour later, Mr. Abbot talked to a young man called Gary Hobson.

"Do you mean that young lady that always wears a black coat?"

"Yes! Do you know where she is?"

The building's manager usually would not give that kind of information, but the young man had a honest face and seemed really concerned.

"Well, I shouldn't say it, but I believe that you can find her close to the ice rink in the park. That one with the big Christmas tree."

"Thank you very much, sir!" The owner of McGinty's shook hands in grattitude then turned to run in direction of the park.

======

The people that went for a walk in the park passed at a respectful distance of the woman wearing an elegant long black leather coat and a fedora that hid her red hair that looked sad at the illuminated tree. It was easy to notice someone sad because of solitude at Christmas time.

With a sigh, the mystery admirer looked down, alone with her thoughts.

"Emma? Emma Shaw?" A voice called her. She didn't believe that had heard correctly. She turned and saw that Gary was at her side - the snow had silenced his steps.

"Gary?!?" The art restorer gasped.

"Then it is you, Emma?"

In a panic attack, she tried to run, but Gary held her arm.

"Please, don't run." he asked. "What if we went to that snack bar?" he asked, indicating a near snack bar.

For lack of option, Emma Shaw attended his request and they sat down in a table that was under an awning. They were in silence. None of the two knew very well what to say.

"I wanted to thank you for save me of those two hoods."

"You are welcome, Gary." She said with her voice low. She had removed the black coat and he noticed that the muscles of her arms were very defined, like the ones of an athlete. "How did you find me?"

"Well, I asked a detective friend of mine to discover who was that was sending me those cards."

"I understand. And what more did he discover?"

Gary stayed silent for a long minute, before answering her question carefully so as not to hurt her. "He discovered that you divorced Marco Sanchez two years after your marriage, because he abused you." She stayed in silence, hugging herself - and it was not to protect herself from the cold. "And now, genius??" Gary censored himself. "I noticed that you dyed your hair." It was not the best comment for the situation, but he didn't get to think in something better.

"Yes, I dyed it and I changed the hairstyle. What do you think of it?"

"Well, your appearance changed a lot." Now, Emma Shaw managed give a small smile.

"Yeah, I imagine." She was aware that her "spy gear" was very different from the kawaii style that she used before. But after her relationship with Marco Sanchez, she felt more comfortable with black - it combined with her state of spirit.

Again the silence. With certainty, none of the two imagined that their re-encounter would be in that way.

"Emma... why you fellowed me like this? I mean.. I would be happy in see you again."

"You...aren't happy?"

"No! Of course I'm happy seeing you, Emma, but do you understand what I mean?"

With her head low, she answered. "Yes, I understand Gary. I... I wanted to be at your side, Gary. But I was afraid. Afraid that you rejected me. That you thought I just returned because I divorced Marco. That you thought I considered that you were just a second option..."

Gary noticed the pain immediately in her voice, understanding her disillusion with her ex-husband should have hurt her. "Emma..." he said. What he would have said soon next is a matter of speculation since he was interrupted.

"Meow!" The Cat appeared well beside Emma, going for a walk among her legs, as if she were an old friend. Surprised with the appearance of the feline and embarrassed for its behavior, Gary apologized immediately.

"All right, Gary. I know that he is special." Seeing the confusion in the face of black-haired man, she sighed and explained. From a internal pocket of her coat, she caught an edition of Chicago Sun-Times. "He appeared in my apartment and gave me this. A newspaper with tomorrow's date."

"Emma, I can explain..."

She interrupted him. "You don't need to explain to Gary. This explains how you knew that I would have problems with that thief, when we met each other. The why of the lateness in our dates. And what happened on that day in the Opera: did you know that I would re-encounter Marco, is not?"

"Yes." He answered in a whisper.

"You left that I had the right of choose... and I choose wrong." Suddenly, Emma got up and put her fedora. "Don't worry, Gary. I won't bother you anymore." She has just donned her long coat, when Gary spoke:

"Huh... Emma, tomorrow in McGinty's we will be having a Christmas Party, and if you appear you will be welcome. That is, if you want appear. I would be really happy if you went in the party."

The woman in the black cold asked, timidly. "Would you like it if went?"

"Yes, I would like."

"I will be there." She said, in a whisper in his ear.

Then, she ran off in the snow that began accumulating. Gary looked at the Cat, that he swore that was smiling. He didn't know how, but the Cat was smiling.

======

In the next day was Christmas Eve and McGinty's was celebrating. Lois and Bernie had come from Hickory to pass the holidays with their son - to much to his surprise. Chuck was in the middle of the production of a science fiction movie (something like "Frankenstein at the Phone"...) with his wife Jade, so could not attend the party - in compensation he sent his greetings by the telephone and a gift to Gary by mail: a Spider-Man costume... Chuck and his sense of humor...

Lois noticed immediately that her son didn't stop looking at the door.

"What's up, Gary? Are you waiting someone?"

"Well, not exactly..."

"Ah... you found a girlfriend." Bernie commented with a smile.

Gary was literally saved by the bell. The door opened up and an elegant short red-haired woman, dressing a long black coat, entered.

"I am happy that you came, Emma."

"Thank you, Gary." she said, still a little shy. They just stood looking in each other's eyes.

"Gary, won't you tell us who is your friend?" Lois Hobson asked in an gentle tone.

"Well... huh... Emma, this is my mother, Lois. Mom, this is Emma Shaw."

The owner of McGinty's noticed the way with that his parents looked at Emma, in approval. Resigned, he understood that that would be a long night... But when his eyes met Emma's, he decided that would not be that bad...

One year later...

Gary Hobson entered in McGinty's, has just completed the last mission of the day and carrying a gift. He went up to his apartment, opened the door and was surprised in see that everything was dark. What could have happened with... In that moment, somebody seized him from the back and closed his mouth with a black-gloved hand. "Merry Christmas, Gary!", the attacker's voice said.

"Emma..." he said grumpy.

"Excuse me, I didn't resist it!" she excused with a smile that disarmed him.

"Well... Merry Christmas!"

They went until the sofa to find the cat sitting there. Gary looked at Emma.

"You let him to be in the sofa..."

"Hey, since Lois Lane is waiting kittens, I can't let her stay in the ground, can I?"

"Lois Lane?! Kittens?!"

The art restorer had to hold for not laughing of the really comic expression of surprise of her boyfriend. "Did you never notice that the Cat was female? And after all, Lois Lane is a good name for a cat journalist..."

"Will we sit down, please?" He asked, embarrassed. He never had worried with that detail.

Lois Lane was in Emma's lap when they sat down. The cat purred satisfied with the caresses of the Protector's girlfriend.

Then, slowly, Emma and Gary's lips touched and kissed each other passionately.

The End...? ^_^

Disclaimer: Early Edition and its characters are property of CBS. No copyright infligement is intented. This is a fanfiction work, created for fun.

Special Thanks: I'm deeply grateful to Tracy Miller and Janet Brayden for the kindness and patience in beta-reading this fanfic. Thanks :-) And I aslo want thanks everybody who read this fic.

* * *

What do you think?

Read and review! :-)


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